Philadelphia Gay News July 10 - 16, 2009
Honesty Integrity Professionalism
Vol. 33 No. 28
PA marriage bill gets Local Rep. takes over another cosponsor DADT repeal effort By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
COUNT HIM IN: Liz Bradbury, executive director of the Pennsylvania Diversity Network, took the podium during a July 8 press conference to build support for Sen. Daylin Leach’s (D-17th Dist., front row, center) bill to legalize same-sex marriage. Leach announced during the event, which drew about 100 people, that Sen. Jim Ferlo (D-38th Dist.) had signed on as a cosponsor of the bill. Sen. Larry Farnese (DFirst Dist.) is also a cosponsor. Photo: Bolton Winpenny
By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer The bill in the Pennsylvania Senate that seeks to legalize same-sex marriage now has one more legislative supporter. Sen. Jim Ferlo (D-38th Dist.) announced this week that he has signed on as a cosponsor of SB 935, which Sen. Daylin Leach (D-17th Dist.) introduced last month. Sen. Larry Farnese (D-1st Dist.) is also a cosponsor. “When you review our great American story, the expansion of our civil rights and liberties always came about as a result of the people’s demand for justice and fairness,” Ferlo said this week. “This is now true for the GLBT community who are rightfully seeking equal rights — not any special rights, as foes would argue — for marriage or recognition of civil unions between consenting adults.” Ferlo is also spearheading a bill in the Senate that would add sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, ancestry and physical and mental disability as protected classes under the state’s hate-crimes law. The state legislature had approved the inclusion of these classes in 2002, but in 2007 a state court found that the legislative process by which the bill was passed was unconstitutional. While Ferlo endorsed marriage equality, he also noted that this may not be the most appropriate time to consider the bill, as
the legislature is currently focused on the state budget and the legislation doesn’t have enough broad support. Ferlo did, however, state that both the hate-crimes legislation and a bill that seeks to protect the LGBT community from discrimination on a statewide level both have a “strong likelihood of passage” this session. Ferlo commended Leach for putting the issue of same-sex marriage in the public consciousness. “Sen. Leach should be given recognition and applauded for his effort to advance this cause further so as to allow public debate and discourse on an issue whose time has come,” he said. Leach said this week that he expects Farnese’s and Ferlo’s support for marriage equality to encourage other lawmakers to back the bill. “I’m very grateful to both Sen. Ferlo and Sen. Farnese. This is a process, but I think over time we’re going to see more and more people supporting us,” Leach said. The bill is currently in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where supporters do not expect any movement on it until the fall. Sen. John Eichelberger (R-30th Dist.) announced in May that he would introduce a bill to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. The bill has not yet been introduced. ■
U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-8th Dist.) from Pennsylvania announced this week that he has signed on as the prime sponsor of the bill to repeal the military’s ban on openly gay servicemembers. Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), who introduced the Military Readiness Enhancement Act in March, officially left office late last month to take on the position of Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Murphy, 35, was elected in 2006, becoming the first Iraq War veteran to serve in Congress. He is a former prosecutor and West Point professor who earned a Bronze Star for his years of service, which included time as a captain in the 82nd Airborne Division of the Army. Murphy served as a cosponsor of the 2007 Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which died in committee. The current version of the bill has 151 cosponsors and is in the House Armed Services Committee. Congress approved “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 1993 under President Clinton as
a compromise to the former blanket ban on LGBT servicemembers; although such individuals are currently permitted to enter the armed services, they cannot disclose their sexual orientation. Murphy said his own experience as a veteran motivated him to step up to lead the fight against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” “As an Iraq War veteran, I’ve seen how this policy has hurt our national security. See MURPHY, Page 12
MURPHY AT THE NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING IN WASHINGTON Photo: Pat Ryan/Human Rights Campaign
Allegheny County OKs nondiscrimination bill By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
The Allegheny County Council approved a bill last week that would prohibit discrimination against LGBT county residents in employment, housing and public accommodations. The council approved the Allegheny County Human Relations Ordinance in an 8-6 vote July 1, and county executive Dan Onorato indicated later that night that he will sign the legislation. The bill, proposed by Councilwoman Amanda Green last summer, additionally creates a seven-member human-relations commission to investigate and adjudicate cases of potential discrimination. “By passing the Human Relations Ordinance, the Allegheny County Council has made fairness a priority,” said Lynn Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn. Zeitlin, executive director of Equality Advocates Pennsylvania. “The county will com.
now be a better place to live and work for all residents, LGBT and straight alike.” The county previously banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin and disability. “With this ordinance, Allegheny County is sending a message that discrimination is never acceptable,” Onorato said. The council adopted an amendment to the bill late last month that stipulates that religious, fraternal and charitable organizations can be exempt from the law if they can provide documentation that sexual orientation, gender or gender identity “constitute grounds for employment decisions under the fundamental tenets of the religion in question.” Stephen Glassman, chair of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, said that while he thought the amendment was broader than necessary, See ALLEGHENY, Page 13